We have our personal zoo on our farm, but I recently have researched bringing back a once native plant to our state. Our small farm organic folks are tickled at "the plan" and are so helpful. The Cherokee used to have wild cranberries available, but through growth and the lack of big profit, no one is doing this crop any longer. We found there is a local market for fresh cranberries for the Holidays. I also intend to use this in my soap after we get our goat milk.
It was a sort of "happy accident", but I think it just may work out. We have about 2 acres of what commercial farmers would consider unusable farm land (sandy, moist soil), but beautiful..all that is missing is the fairies. Last November, I had been to all of the stores trying to find fresh cranberries and could only find some of the Ocean Spray packages that didn't look very good at all! It occurred to me that my "unusable" land was a "natural bog", so I started researching. So, after speaking with folks in New England whose families have owned cranberry farms for 200 years, it was decided that it will be our new venture. One man told me a story that his grandfather told him as relayed by HIS grandfather. His family had sold plants to the farmers here in the 1840's. The New England farmers were not happy about it by 1870, because the farmers here would beat them to the market in Philadelphia by 2 weeks.
One of the contacts I made was a local food critic bemoaning the fact that no one provided fresh organic cranberries in the area (as I was to find..actually the state!). The food critic has put me in touch with the owners of a local brewery/restaurant that is interested in purchasing the "juice berries" for their cranberry beer.
We have a local beekeeper who has promised to start me a few hives for pollination. He was tickled, because this land hasn't been sprayed since before 1983 (and is not near people). He can also now sell the cranberry honey which makes a FINE glaze for ham, etc. I was also happy to find a wonderful, organic supplier in VA, so I should be able to get my fish emulsion. Who'd have thought I'd be excited about fish fertilizer one day! :)
My first "test" plants arrived yesterday, and we're very excited. We will have to do our own processing, but have found the grandson of the inventor of the first small time (reads family operated) processing equipment that will look out for a used piece for us. Co-incidentally we were already going to spend a week at a friend's beach house in Maine this summer, so will take a bog tour as well.
Keeping my fingers (and toes) crossed that it works as we all expect. The harvest would only be a week or so per year. I intend to use some of our local Jr. College's horticulture certificate students. They have a 6 week program for our local "disabled" adults, that generally are Downs Syndrome or bipolar. I think they'd enjoy the farm and lack of stress, as well as seeing that their certificate can actually mean "a paying job" (even if it's only a week or so at a time).
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Thanks Kare!
"At the moment, all of those animals are supposedly living in "pharms," but at any time, they could decide to bring them into the market, and they wouldn't have to tell anyone."
Soylent Green anyone? It's quite disturbing that we are on a need-to-know basis about the truth, and someone has decided we don't need to know!If I can keep the rabbits here at bay, I'll let you know what our experience is with the Amish variety.
Yes, there are only three truly native fruits to N. America, cranberry being one. The native Americans used to mix it with deer meat and a few other foodstuffs to use as winter "energy bars" during the fur trader era...pemmican. I think I'd not be too thrilled with the grease binding used during those times, but may have to make a recipe for my own energy bars or goatie treats! I've gotten hooked on the blueberry, cranberry, pomegranate juices lately, too. ;) We're really enjoyed the antioxidant value.
Enjoyed the interview! The cranberry plants are perennial and self propagating, so fall within his ideas. Some of the New England family farmers I've spoken with say their "bogs" are 150 years old! Another lady was a retired teacher who had the experience of being termed "crazy", but she ended up being very successful within her local area. Hopefully it will work out here as well. At the very least I won't have difficulty finding fresh cranberries for my Thanksgiving breads, etc.
That is so exciting -- I had no idea cranberries were originally grown in N. Carolina!
I'm the research maven of the family here, too.
I don't think anything about factory farms would surprise me.When I was doing the research for my book, I came across some really disturbing stuff -- made me double and triple check facts, thinking that it HAD to be false! Here is the thing that scared me the worst -- in an effort to reduce allergic reactions to milk, they have introduced human DNA into cows and goats. The scary thing is that all milk animals eventually end up as meat animals in the food chain, and genetically modified meat does not have to be labeled, sooooo imagine eating beef (or goat) that has human DNA in it. At the moment, all of those animals are supposedly living in "pharms," but at any time, they could decide to bring them into the market, and they wouldn't have to tell anyone. The whole field of pharming is like something out of a science fiction novel.
Kimberly Martin said:
Kimberly Martin said:
I haven't watched the interview prior to posting this, but have my own horror story regarding chicken factories. We sold our mountain farm in '08, but I had a very interesting chat with a chicken factory worker just prior to leaving. We've had our flock for about 6 years, after learning of the steroids to speed the laying from 6 months to 6 weeks. But, this girl really scared me with her tale. It seems that the chicken industry has made note of the increased demand for drumsticks, since " hot wings" are the rage. They have scientists attempting to genetically alter the chickens to grow 4 legs...great profit margin if you only have to feed one chicken to get 4 drumsticks! I thought the cloned beef was the last straw, but apparently not!
Congratulations on being published, I will certainly look for it. I'm outside of Raleigh, NC..and don't make too many trips to New England.
Funny that said you to learn as much as I can. I am the research maven in our family. The state ag folks already are learning from me. ;)
There has been a huge shift in attitudes since we moved out to the country nine years ago for the simple purpose of growing our own food organically. People thought we had lost our minds back then! They were just as stunned and speechless as if I'd said I had cancer or something horrible. Today people think we're cool. Six years ago, I did a homesteading talk at the Illinois Sustainable Living and Wellness Expo, and four people showed up. I also did a talk on heritage livestock, and no one showed up. A couple weeks ago, I did it again, and the room was packed -- like 70 people -- for both my homesteading talk and my backyard chicken talk!
Here is a great interview with Joel Salatin -- probably the best one I've heard so far, because he talks about how "normal" people can take control of their food. It is amazing to hear him talking about the end of factory chicken farms because seriously everyone can have their own egg supply unless you live in an apartment, so the slack can be taken up by small farms. (FYI -- The interview is a podcast, and the MP3 link worked for me. I don't know enough about computers to know why the others didn't work on my computer, but I'm glad they offer four different ways to listen.)
I have a book coming out in the fall, Homegrown and Handmade, which is all about growing your own food and fiber. Are you in New England? I'll be out there the last week of September for my book tour.
My suggestion for the cranberries is to learn to do as much as you can with them and become a spokesperson for your business. I've recently met a few farmers here who sell organic eggs, and then they wind up selling their spent layers for next to nothing or giving them away, because they have no idea what an outstanding meat they have to sell. So, I'm hoping to help them create a market for stew hens.
Thank you Deborah. It looks like the small, family run operations are making a comeback. Everyone has been so forthcoming and helpful since we will be a very small non threatening entity.
I may save out some of the juice berries for private use. The processing to sell would not be feasible financially considering the small size. Eventually, I may plant blueberries and pomegranates on the fringes.
The food critic gal said she'd love to see an operation like this opened to the children as a learning experience. I may consider that. A lot of how this country was built is being lost. I'm so glad to have learned to quilt and can. Next up is cheese, butter and soap.
We're just thrilled. I am so much less stressed than in our "previous" life. I grew tired of the corporate world and it's trappings.